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Six months after the launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro, the company is ready to present its next flagship. We’ve already heard a lot about the OnePlus 8 series. Wireless charging, a 120Hz display, and new new design elements are just a few of the new features we’ve come to expect. However, they accompany the rumors of a terribly high price. With that in mind, it makes even more sense to revisit the OnePlus 7T Pro.
How well has the OnePlus 7T Pro held up? Is the performance and battery life still that good? Also, is it still a good idea to buy the OnePlus 7T Pro? I have been using the phone since it launched and this is what I think after six months of use.
OnePlus 7T Pro: the good
Performance
OnePlus built its brand on the promise of speed, and that’s one area where the OnePlus 7T Pro has stood the test of time. I’m a pretty smart smartphone user. I have over 300 apps installed at any given time, multiple utilities that sync with my home server, and more. And yet the OnePlus 7T Pro is still as fast as out of the box.
Powered by a class-leading Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, the phone has more than enough grunt to power intensive tasks. Honestly, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but I can’t find anything missing here on a power front.
Daily tasks like juggling multiple social media apps, having 50 tabs open in Chrome (that’s normal isn’t it?) And the constant streaming of music does nothing to slow down the phone. Of course, the amount of RAM also plays a role here. To be sure, I’ve been using the 12GB variant of the phone’s RAM, but I’m sure the 8GB of RAM in the low-end model would have been more than enough, too.
Battery duration
The 4,085 mAh cell in the OnePlus 7T Pro was not class-leading at launch. However, battery life is a function of both hardware and proper optimization. OnePlus has not just delivered the formula, but has improved it. Six months of extensive use later, I still get a full day of comfortable use from the phone. While longer battery life is always welcome, I’ve been adequately pleased with the longevity it offers here despite the expansive display and high-power-consuming processor.
Battery life has only gotten better and a full day of use is the norm rather than the exception.
On a normal day, I turn off the phone around 9 a.m. And I don’t feel the need to plug it in until late at night. When I go out, the 30-watt fast charge is useful for giving the phone a quick recharge.
I’ve missed having the ability to charge the phone wirelessly while driving, but that’s one omission OnePlus is about to fix with its state-of-the-art hardware.
software
When I reviewed the OnePlus 7T Pro in October, I noticed that Oxygen OS focused on refinement and bug fixing instead of features. The immediate experience was fantastic and that has only gotten better with ongoing software updates. The changelogs from the last update talk about improved RAM management, but I haven’t really noticed a difference there because I didn’t have a problem with that in the first place.
That being said, I have a problem with the fact that my phone is still running January security patches. Yes, I know that the update started shipping in some regions and I understand the delays due to the current coronavirus crisis, but several other brands, including Samsung, have been able to send updates in time. This is not a good look for OnePlus if you want to play hard against the big guys.
I love the fluency and the meaningless software, but the updates have been slow.
I’ve long held that software is a great reason to buy OnePlus hardware, and OxygenOS’s long-term fluidity plays a role in that. Android phones have a bad reputation for slowing down over time and as an enthusiast I have observed this first hand. The OnePlus 7T Pro keeps going at full speed like the first day, and that’s no joke.
Display
The OnePlus 7T Pro was one of the first phones on the market to ship with a 90Hz capable panel. Six months later, there are many more options available, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the screen is still attractive.
I have enjoyed countless hours of content, games, and use of social media. Outdoors, the brightness levels have been more than enough for excellent visibility. Indoors, the excellent contrast levels make media consumption a very pleasant experience.
OnePlus 7T Pro: the not-so-good things
Camera
Look, the OnePlus 7T Pro’s camera is not terrible. Not for a stretch. But it just doesn’t cut the mustard when placed next to other flagship hardware. As OnePlus increasingly faces top-tier competition, it’s only fair that the images match.
I didn’t have a lot of trouble with everyday use with the main camera, but all too often there were major differences in white balance selection between different lenses. The telephoto lens, in particular, was not the best for resolving details. I also found that the configured camera is less than ideal for capturing motion. Trying to capture a photograph of a pet was an exercise in frustration, an issue with which my Pixel 3 had no problem.
In low light, things took a drastic turn down. I admit that night mode has gone a long way towards improving image quality, but the low-level details are still less than ideal and there is more digital noise than I would like. Capture low-light images with the telephoto or ultra-wide-angle lens? Forget this.
Is the OnePlus 7T Pro still worth buying?
Maybe I’m being unnecessarily hard on the OnePlus 7T Pro, but it’s the little details that make the difference between a good phone and a great one. I’ll also be the first to admit that the OnePlus 7T Pro has grown to become my favorite phone of 2019. One I would happily recommend to anyone.
In the absence of flagship-level images, there is little that would change on the phone.
With rumors suggesting that the OnePlus 8 Pro could touch the $ 1,000 mark, the OnePlus 7T Pro becomes even more relevant. The Snapdragon 855 Plus is still incredibly powerful. The experience of the software is fantastic and the company has promised three years of updates, although they could improve the pace.
The OnePlus 7T Pro was a pretty good deal at the launch price of £ 699 or Rs. 53,999. Today, with extensive deals and discounts available, it remains an excellent choice for most smartphone buyers. It is an option that I would have no qualms about recommending.
